What does it take to like a city?

If you are born and brought up in a particular city, then of course your loyalty will lie there.. But what if you are compelled to move to a different city, isn't it to your advantage to start liking it?

I have this colleague who has got transferred from Gurgaon to Mumbai and she is not liking it one bit. She swears by Delhi (being born and raised there) and is just unwilling to see the nicer points of the new city she's moved into. No matter how much I try to tell her subtly that the place will grow on her, she is steadfast in her idea.

I had never ventured outside Madras till I got married and moved to Gurgaon. But I kind of liked that place... though there is nothing much to do apart from the Malls. We kind of felt bored occasionally, but we definitely didn't dislike it.

But I guess it is different with Delhi and Mumbai. People who are used to Delhi will not take to Mumbai and vice versa. Atleast that is what C says... he did his MBA in Mumbai and I think next to Chennai he likes that city a lot. I have never visited the place yet and from all the tales C tells of his college, the trains, the fast pace of life, vada-pav and cutting chai :-), I would like to see it some time...

Auto Ride

I was spared some four times from getting crushed under a speeding vehicle last night. (OK C, if you are reading this, don't get agitated. I didn't tell you last night because you were already exhausted after a very tiring day.)

Travelling back and forth between office and home is becoming increasingly difficult. I left my workplace about 7.30 last evening and since I was sapped, decided against the bus and took an auto. And from the second that I boarded, it was a non-stop thrill ride. The driver had absolutely no lane sense. Cutting across lanes like he owned the road, I remember my heart skipping a beat many a times!

I repeatedly asked him to slow down but he was nonchalant to my protests. At one point I completely lost it. He had coolly driven on the other side of the lane with traffic coming head on, just so that he can take the signal first. After he heard some choicest foul words from few passing motorists, I gave him some gyaan.

When I first asked him to slow down, he asked me - 'why madam are you scared?'
I felt my temper raising, but I held it back and asked him how he felt about his own driving. I told him he (and the passenger!) won't be lucky every single time. An extra 5 minutes is NOT a big deal when the other option is to get squashed like a bee. Why wouldn't auto drivers be the most hated folks of the public transport system? If someone collides with your auto, how can you complain when you are clearly on the wrong side of the road?

I spoke rapidly and with real passion and he was quite for a few seconds and then said 'Sorry madam, I will drive carefully.' I thought he was just being sarcastic but he did drive like a sane man after my short lecture. He again said, 'I realize madam, I will drive slowly...' I said, it is for your own good that I told you.

I was glad I reached home in one piece.

This driver, I noted, had terribly crossed eyes. I was left wondering what the requirement for eyesight was before issuing a driving permit.

My Best Friend's Wedding

was on Sunday, Feb 8th. I was really very happy to see her after some 6 years or so!
S is a dentist and is now the wife of a Doctor, Major. I feel proud and happy. I wish her a very happy, fulfilling and peaceful married life.

I hardly had any close friends. I had a few during my early school days and a couple of them in high school. S was one of them. I have to confess this friendship started from her first. While I was naive or rather stupid expecting few other girls to be my friends, who actually turned out pretty nasty, S was constantly by my side always giving me strength to cope with the new-school blues and the curt behaviour of some. I took time to warm up to her but slowly she turned out to be my best buddy in school. Ironically, we lost touch for many yrs and this helped reach out to her again. And from then on, it has been like before.

And in preparing to attend the wedding, I made my first purchase of 'make-up' :-)
Found a Health and Body shop near our place and it was a rather quick and impulsive buy. I detest going to these shops because of my fear of being ridiculed (!) at my lack of knowledge on cosmetics and the like. However, the staff manning this shop were pretty friendly. I made no bones about the fact that I knew nothing of foundation, compact and all that jazz. I asked her point blank what I needed to do and she very patiently explained it to me. After checking the prices of a few things, I decided to buy myself a Lakme compact and a nail enamel. Ha!

Agony

Does a woman attain nirvana when she produces a child? Is that the culmination of her feminineness? Is it her purpose upon this earth to see to that she produces offsprings? Are thoughts such as these detrimental to my health?? Am in such anguish right now. I so detest seeing this 'so and so blessed with a baby' mail in my official inbox. Really, am not bad, even if I say so myself. But at times it just feels like someone is driving a nail through my heart. I don't want to envy anybody.. but please god, give me some peace of mind. I don't want to sob like this, sitting in office.

Temptations

I just finished lunch.

Across my table sits a small snack box. Containing classic salted banana chips, Sarakara Upperi (banana chips coated with jaggery and ginger powder) and Sihili (Ellu Urundai ie, sesame seeds roasted, powdered and mixed with jaggery and made in the form of small balls)

I resolve to eat it only (at least) after an hour. And by the time it takes me to type these lines, I have tasted the Upperi!

What do I do? Oh! what do I do?